Christmas fallouts

[JubileeTrifle]

was talking to DH about this earlier and was thinking about Christmas time fallouts…

PILs came for Christmas. They were generally hard work and never ever left the house when visited unless forced so we’re stuck with them for days and just sat in front of the TV all day, never helped. MIL was miserable as usual and complained about everything. FIL having the best time, mostly because I can cook (MIL could not) so happy to visit and eat.

Anyway I had a significant birthday at end of the holidays so was having a small party. Food and drink all set up.
For context PIL would not be sociable with my friends. In fact they wouldn’t speak to them at all. Anyone who popped in would be totally ignored. Also FIL had a habit of overindulging if there was alcohol and being a bit of a twat.

A weather warning was issued for 2 days time on the day they were due to leave (after 5 days - desperate for them to leave), so FIL announced he isn’t leaving and instead they might stay ‘another 10 days’ or so until weather improves and puts his feet up. I had to get DH to tell them to still leave as the weather was totally fine and I couldn’t have them and I had people coming for party/to stay, including someone flying in from abroad.
It caused the most enormous falling out that we never recovered from as I had ‘asked them to leave’. Literally complained about it for 15 years as an example I was this awful person because I didn’t want to wait on them hand and foot for another 10 days.
I had a nice party though.

They suggested they'd stay for another ten days? Jesus, that's the rudest thing I've ever heard!

They sound like a pair of t. It was going to happen at some point with people like that.

Reading with intrigue

Oh OP, that's a hard one to have to hear on repeat for 15 years! At least your party was amazing.

My biggest Xmas fall out was the last time I spent a Christmas with my 'D'M. My Brother was with us too. She had travelled from Abroad and it was our first Xmas together in four years, I was 22, brother 21.

She was restless, knew she didn't actually want to be with us. Ticking a box type of situation. She wanted me to start the beef and I suggested we leave it 30 minutes as none of us were in a hurry and what's the rush. Within 30 seconds she's screaming how I always ruin everything and why can't I just do what I'm told.

Got up immediately to put everything in the oven, the argument continues. Within five minutes she had me against the wall by my neck screaming at me. My brother saw it all and tried to pull her off. I had red marks where she had held me so tight.

Of course I got the blame for making her so mad and it was my fault. I finished the dinner, neither spoke again to me for the rest of the day. Next morning I wake up to commotion, DM and Brother have packed and leaving, it was 7.30am. No goodbyes, nothing. I was new to the area, no friends, they are my only family.

That was the last time we ever spent Christmas together. That was 15 years ago. Only gone NC in the last two years, I believed for the longest of time I was the problem and justified a whole heap of nonsense whilst believing she was the best, most supportive DM in the world.

I have more Christmas stories from my childhood, the bad ones all involve her screaming at someone and awful arguments which went on for days. I don't miss her.

To be fair MIL didn’t want to stay. There’s no way I would have them in my house when we went to work. We did once and they just sat all day and demanded things when we walked through the door. They also thought when you had office jobs you could just not go in/leave whenever you fancied.